About: Correspondence from Sen. Baldwin

I received a letter in the mail today from Senator Tammy Baldwin in response to a letter that I had recently sent to her. In my letter, I had conveyed to her the quandary that I and many other transgender folks are in regarding gender confirmation surgery. Medicare is now willing to cover gender confirmation surgery, but it is difficult, if not impossible, to locate a doctor who will take Medicare payments for their surgical services. Senator Baldwin affirmed that she shares that concern and that she would keep that issue in mind as she proceeds forward in regards to addressing transgender concerns. My feeling is that if surgeons start to accept Medicare payments for gender confirmation surgery that it will open a path to more healthcare insurance providers covering this procedure. This surgery is often a very real lifeline for many transgender folks.